Effects of Surface Concentration on Drying Behavior of Carbohydrate Solutions

As the surface properties of the drying materials are very important not only for the drying rate but also for the quality change during drying, the effects of surface concentration on the drying behavior of liquid foods (sugar solutions) were investigated by isothermal drying experiments and by numerical calculation experiments. The isothermal drying experiments with gelled sugar solution systems (sucrose and maltodextrin) were carried out at various relative humidity (RH) values (RH = 0 to 84%). Separate experiments were carried out for determination of the desorption isotherms.

The isothermal drying curves of sugar solutions at RH = 0 to 51% were very similar. Numerical simulations also showed that the drying curves of these sugars at the surface concentration = 0 and 0.1 are almost the same, although the concentration distributions are different.

When a small amount of gelatin was added to sugar solutions, the drying rate decreased remarkably as the gelatin might form a thin film (skin) near the surface, and consequently the retention of ethanol increased.     

Method to Characterize the Air Flow and Water Removal Characteristics During Vacuum Dewatering. Part II—Analysis and Characterization

This is part II of a study reported earlier on a method to characterize the air flow and water removal characteristics during vacuum dewatering. This article presents experimental data and analysis of results from the use of a cyclically actuated vacuum dewatering device for removing moisture from wetted porous materials such as paper with the intermittent application of vacuum and accompanying air flow though the material. Results presented include sheet moisture content as a function of residence time and hence water removal rate under a variety of process conditions. Also, experimental results on air flow through the wet porous structure and hence the role and importance of air flow during vacuum dewatering are presented. Vacuum dewatering process conditions include exit solids content between 11 and 20% solid under applied vacuum conditions of 13.5 to 67.7 kPa (4 to 20 in. Hg). Regression analysis indicated that the exit sheet moisture content exhibited a nonlinear relationship with residence time with exit solids reaching a plateau after a certain residence time. Final moisture content correlated linearly with the average overall flow rate of air through the paper sample and the basis weight of the material.     

Effect of vibration condition and inter-particle frictions on the packing of uniform spheres

We present a numerical study of the packing of uniform spheres under three-dimensional vibration using the discrete element method (DEM), focusing on the effects of vibration condition (amplitude and frequency) and inter-particle frictions (sliding and rolling frictions). The results are analysed in terms of packing density, coordination number (CN), radial distribution function (RDF) and pore structure. It is shown that increasing either the vibration amplitude or frequency causes packing density to increase initially to a maximum and then decrease. Both vibration frequency and amplitude should be considered to characterize the effect of vibration process on packing structure. The sliding and rolling frictions between particles can decrease packing density since they dissipate energy, although the effect of rolling friction is less significant. In line with the change of packing density, microstructural properties such as CN, RDF and pore distribution also change: a looser packing often corresponds to smaller CN, less peaked RDF and larger but more widely distributed pores.     

潜油电机碟形弹簧的动力学分析

为了降低潜油电泵机组的振动对止推轴承性能的影响,在潜油电机中节和下节的止推轴承静块底部安装了蝶形弹簧。用有限元方法进行模态分析,确定了蝶形弹簧的主振型和固有频率,然后进行瞬态动力学分析,求解蝶形弹簧在一定载荷下的应力和位移。依此设计的蝶形弹簧将进一步延长止推轴承的使用寿命。     

土工合成材料在辽宁省水利工程中应用效益分析

截止2003年辽宁省水利工程中应用土工合成材料已达1450万多m^2，尤其在河道护岸、堤(坝)护坡、防渗工程上这种新型工程材料得到了广泛应用。结合辽宁省水利工程上应用的实际，对其效益进行了分析，分析结果表明：采用土工织物软体排护岸比传统柴排护岸节省投资35％～80％；堤坝护坡采用土工织物滤层比传统砂砾料滤层节省投资30％以上；土工膜防渗可比粘土防渗节省投资30％～50％。同时还取得了保护生态平衡、节省能源、促进化纤工业发展等十分显的社会效益。     

高压水射流射孔井眼应力数值模拟研究

水力射孔技术是一种新型完井方式,利用深穿透水力射孔技术辅助定向压裂,可实现油层改造和油井增产。考虑套管水泥环的影响,采用有限元理论结合ANSYS软件计算了高压水射流水力射孔井眼周围的应力,重点分析了水力射孔参数对井周应力的影响规律,初步研究了直井水力压裂时水力射孔对裂缝起裂的影响。计算结果表明,沿最大水平地应力方向布孔时,孔眼根部的周向拉应力最大,裂缝将会在孔眼根部起裂;选择合理水力射孔参数可有效降低地层破裂压力。研究结果可为高压水射流水力射孔辅助定向压裂提供参数优选的依据。     

基于遗传算法的土钉支护结构优化设计研究

通过建立三维有限元模型,对土钉支护的变形和受力性能进行分析,得出土钉力的合理分布。在此基础上,考虑土钉支护的水平位移,采用遗传算法,对土钉支护的结构优化设计进行研究,建立了土钉支护结构的优化设计数学模型,并编制了相应的计算程序。通过算例分析,并与基于极限平衡分析的优化结果相比较,得出合理的土钉支护结构设计的参考结论。     

Ice-slurry production using direct contact heat transfer

An ice slurry generation system was developed using direct contact heat transfer between water and the coolant, Fluroinert FC-84. The location of the coolant nozzle is an important design consideration to avoid clogging due to freezing of water. An ice fraction of up to about 40 percent was obtained with the nozzle located at the bottom of the ice slurry tank and the jet directed upwards into the water. Two simplified model were developed to extract the heat transfer coefficient between the coolant drops and the water. The first model requires as input the average drop diameter and the residence time while the second model uses the measured drop diameter distribution. The estimated heat transfer coefficients are much smaller than those computed using single-sphere correlations.     

Three dimensional boundary element analysis of internal cracks under sliding contact load with a spherical indenter

Using boundary element based three dimensional modelling for linear fracture mechanics, we present an analysis of cracking in a homogeneous medium subject to contact load. The proposed iterative solution procedure allows a simultaneous treatment of a reasonable number of partially closed cracks. It is shown that the most probable direction of propagation of a vertical internal crack is strongly dependent on its size compared to the contact radius and its location with respect to the axis of maximum normal load.     

A p‐version,first order shear deformation,finite element for geometrically non‐linear vibration of curved beams

A p‐version, hierarchical finite element for curved, moderately thick, elastic and isotropic beams is introduced. The convergence properties of the element are analysed and some results are compared with results published elsewhere or calculated using a commercial finite element package. It is verified that, with the proposed element, shear locking does not affect the computation of the natural frequencies and that low dimensional, accurate models are obtainable. Geometrically non‐linear vibrations due to finite deformations, which occur for harmonic excitations with frequencies close to the first three natural frequencies of vibration, are investigated using Newmark's method. The influence of the thickness, longitudinal inertia and curvature radius on the dynamic behaviour of curved beams are studied. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.